1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a functional polymer and its applications in medical devices, and particularly relates to a brush polymer and its applications in medical wound dressings and medical catheters.
2. Description of the Related Art
When surfaces of most medical devices or biomedical materials contact with body fluid, such as exudates, urine, or blood . . . etc., nonspecific protein adsorption in the body fluid may occur. If such nonspecific protein adsorption occurs at the injured area, a large amount of proteins will accumulate to the surface of a medical device or a biomedical material, and begin to attract adjacent cells of tissue to migrate onto surface of medical devices during the tissue regeneration. Then, a large amount of cells will continuously accumulate in the spacing between the wound dressing matrix and dressing matrix to form an alternate construction. This phenomenon is called wound adhesion. When it occurs in a urinary system, the proteins or bacteria in urine may adhere to the surface of a medical device or a biomedical material, and then the bacteria will proliferate to form a biofilm, and it probably causes infection and blockage due to “encrustation” of the medical device, such as a catheter. When it occurs in a vascular system, the proteins or bacteria in blood may adhere to the surface of a medical device or a biomedical material, and then the nonspecific proteins will induce adhesion and activation of platelet in blood to form a thrombus.
Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a well known hydrophilic material capable of inhibiting protein absorption and is typically chemically shifted onto a surface of a medical device or a biomedical material after the surface is activated by plasma, ozone, or corona. However, for a medical device or a biomedical material having an irregular shape, a considerable thickness, or a porous structure, a uniform hydrophilic interface and an optimized hydrophilic effect may not be obtained by such a method.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a multifunctional polymer material, capable of being formed into a uniformly hydrophilic surface and inhibiting nonspecific protein or bacteria adsorption.